Can the performance of satire function as an effective catalyst for social change? If so, how? If not, what factors hamper comedy’s subversive efficacy?
Performance of satire can serve as an effective catalyst for social change. The performance of satire can generate this reification and idealization of the subject, specifically within cultural stereotypes where everyone thrives to be included in this feeling of communitas. In addition, there is this element of reification of subversion introduced within the performance of satire. The way the performer articulates the language can alter or change the recipients’ ideologies or outlooks. With an instance of satire, shock waves on the particular subject can provoke critical thought for recipients. It is a subversive function and it intends to have an effect on the status quo to bring about social transformation. Therefore, I believe the manipulation of satire is an instrument of change and produces social awareness in popular traditions.
For example, E! Entertainment television weekly series, Talk Soup hosted by Joel McHale, focuses on recaps of popular culture television show moments of the week. The host provides a satire performance of sarcastic and biting commentary of various clips of television that viewers watch on a daily basis. The television content he evaluates on the show is dealing with a variety of topics, such as politics, gender values, cultures, reality television, etc. and he introduces a different perspective for the viewer. This type of performance creates social awareness and social change on popular culture reality television because it brings a critique of a microcosm on American culture. Although, Joel McHale the satirist provokes humor, his performance purpose for his recipients often is not so much humor, but for a sake of an attack on something strongly disapproved. Therefore, he is using his wit as a weapon against popular television clips with high ratings and inviting recipients to have a different outlook on television clips they may have seen in the past, but may not interpreted the clip in that manner. Specifically, he wants to generate critical thought for his viewers based on the television content he evaluates because there is somewhat disapproval in the content and his humor creates a comfortable discourse for his performance.
Therefore, satire often creates a safe space and it entails this feeling of comfort for the performer and recipient. The efficacy of performance unnoticeably fuels power to the recipient enjoying the performance, recipient a part of the culture, or who inspire to be involved in the culture. In addition, the notion of performance satire efficacy works solely for the recipient depending on the openness of accepting alternate solutions and if they will continue to accept the satire discourse of reification and idealization of the culture. Therefore, the artifact evaluated in the essay represents an effective catalyst of performance satire for social change because Joel McHale takes a normalizing function of popular television and promotes critical thought on social awareness and introducing alternate solutions on the subject.
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Talk Soup is an interesting example -- but how do you measure the efficacy? What signs are there that McHale's comedy is having an effect on anyone?
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite one to read. And while I agree that McHale has a good amount of satire, I do agree that it still doesn't measure if his comedy is having and effect on anyone. This is not to say that it isn't, far from, but there isn't a strong enough gauge of that with McHale.
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